Safety wheel lock for motor-driven vehicles



'May 5, 1925.

C. L. LEHMAN ET AL SAFETY WHEEL LOCK FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES Filed Feb. 12, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 5, 192s. 1,536,803

c. L.. LEHMAN ET AL 4 SAFETY WHEEL Loox FOR MOTOR DRIVEN vEHVIcLEs Filed Feb. 12. 19,24 2 sheets-sheet 2 v attorney Patented May 5, 1925.,

UNITED Asra'iras PATENT oFFicE. g

CHARLES LEWIS LEHMAN .AND HENRY ooNEAn variieren-0E EDMQNTQN, A1,rugRggLk CANADA.

SAFETY LOCK F033) MOTOR-DRIVEN VEHICLES.

l Application inea February i2, i924. serial No. 692,324.

To all whom t may concern.' i

Be itknown that we, CHARLES LEwrs LEH- MAN and HENRY CONRAD VAKrNER, subjects of the King of England, residing at'lldmon-A ton,` in the Province of Alberta and Dominion of Canada,L have inventedv new and useful lmprovements inl Safety lV heel yLoc-ks for l\.[otor-Driven Vehicles, of which the following is a specilic'ation. l y

At times, drivers orv chauffeurs either lose control` of the'niotor-driven vehicle'or the vehicle stalls on steep gradesy and very often ii. the brakes are ynot'appliedl at the right time, the vehicle travels` rearwardly, hence endangering the lives ofthe chauliieur and the passengers. K f

In view of the above,vthe present finven tion has for its purpose to provide, in a safety wheel lock for inotor-driven vehicles,

automaticy means for preventing retrograde movement of the vehicle, therefore obviating Jthe possibility of the chauffeur losing control of the vehicle and thereby preventing endangering the livesfof the passengers.

Another purpose is to provide `a lock of the presentv character which' will permit steep grades to be climbed in perfect safety, the construction and arrangement of the lock `,being such that, when in cooperation with a member carried `within the brake drums,l it will allow kthe vehicle to` travel forwardly but will automatically retard ret regression of the vehicle in case the vehicle stalls. l

mechanism of this character which, when the vehicle stalls on ascending orcliinbing a steep. grade, will hold the vehicle independently of the brakes or engine, allowing the engine to be started when the trans 4mission is in neutral, vand when the controlling means of the transmission is moved to first position,will allow the vehicle to `move'forward las the brakes are off.

means cooperatively engaging with said ratchet rings and adapted tobe in constant readiness to prevent retrogre'ssion of they vehicle in case it stallson a steep gradeor incline.

A still further purpose is the provision .herein given are 1n no Still .another purposegis to provide a of means which not only positively locks said detent'means but may also be used for disengaging said detent means from the ratchet rings and thereby permit free revof-luhle movements of the rear wheels,

' It is tobe understood .that the particulars way limitative and that, of the invention, anydesired inodiiieations ol details and desiredy proportions may be made inthe apparatus according to the circumstances.

The invention comprises further Afeatures and combinations of parts to be .hereinafterset yforth, sho-wn -in the drawings and claimed. y l

In the drawings: Figure l is a plan view of a portion of an automobile, showing the rear wheels, the axlelhousing and the impro-ved safety wheel lock applied in accordance with the invention. i

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional lview Y through a portionof the brake drum, showmg thev ratchet and the detent means in an operative position therewith.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2. f y Figure 4. is an enlarged sectional view on line' ls-f4 of Figure 2,` showing the spring tensioned detent;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective viewl oftheropposed parts of the detent housing. Figure 6 is adetail perspective` view of the foot lever including the lock for holding the same set.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the rear axle housing and 2 the brake drums, and arranged on the interior thereof are ratchet rings 3.` The rings 3 are provided with projections 4f which radiate and have apertures for openings 5 which arev internally threaded for fthe/reception'of stud bolts 6 which are threaded intothe inner walls of the. brake drums. However, the ratchet rings have additional openings 7 which are internally threaded to receive stud Vbolts which may pass through the inner walls ot the brakek drums.

It is obvious that either set of openings 5 'or-may be used for fastening the ratchet rings tothe inner walls of the brake drums.

ln the present case, both sets of openings are used in order to illustrate that either set maybe employed. `This is accomplished for they reason that in some cases .the stud while still keeping within thescope,

bolts which may pass through the openings 5 would be in the way ot soine obstruction or the stud bolts which. pass through the openings T inapv be in the path ot seine obstruction and to avoid this contingency either set of opening/s may be used.

The brake drums include the inner disl: walls S which are carried by the axle housing* l and secured to the disk walls 8 are plates 9 and 10 the toriner beine on the interior oit' the disl: 'alls 8, the latter on the exterior. The latter plates have housings 1l tor the reception oi' the bolts 1Q which are euided through openings 13 in the ends ot the housings 11. rl`lre housings 11 are rein'orccd relative to the plates it) by nieans ot the webs or walls ift. The bolts 1Q have enlarged outer ends 15 which niay be any suitable 4length and preferably rectangular or square in cross section, although they may be otherwise shaped. These ends are guided through the relatively short housings 1G which are integral with the plates 9 and are reintorced by the webs 1i'.

Expansion coil springs 18 are niounted in the housings 11 and in surroundingrelation to the bolts 19.. 1n tact, the springs 1S are reintorced between the enlarged ends 15 and the'end walls ot the housings 1l, the springs acting to hold the' outer` extremities of the enlarged ends 15 constantly in engagement with the toothed tacos l) ot the ratchet rings, thereby preventine,` rear revoluble inoveinent ot the rear wheels oit the vehicle and hence prevent-'ing' retrograde inoveinent oit the niachine.

'lhe inner adjacent ends` o1 the bolts 1Q arev provided with slots 2O and tulcriuned at Q1 on projections Q2 ot the arde housing` 1 are bell crank levers or il-shaped sectors Q3, cerain arnis El oft which have slots 25 through which and through the slots il() suitable coupling bolts QG extend, thereby eon nectine; the bell crank levers or sectors to the bolts. Due to the slot. connections ot the bolts with the bell eranl levers or seetors, it is obvious that the bolts ride` over the toothed 'faces oit the ratchet rings as long;l as the vehicle is tr veline' forwardly. lt is obvious that in ease the vehicle is ascending' a steep grade and should the vehicle stall or the chauffeur lose. control oit the machine, the bolts upon retrograde movement ot the wheels will engage-with the teeth ot the ratchet rings and thereby prevei'it excessive retrograde movement ot the `vehicle.

Other arins QT ot the bell crank levers or sectors are pivotally connected to the 'forked ends 2S ot rods 29 by ineans ot suitable bolts 30. The rods 29 converge forwardly and their threaded ends pass through a coupling plate S1, there beine` nuts 3Q and upon opposite sides of the coupling' plate tor the purpose ot adjusting1 the rods in their relative positions to result in proper operations o t the bell crank levers or sectors. The coupling; plate tit connected to an additional rod f3-'i b v nieans ot nuts and 3G threaded upon the rod 2H adjacent opposite sides ot the plate 31, so thaty the rod 31- inay be adjusted to :uzconnnodate itself in a position between the plate and an actuaH tor.

Secured to the floor ot the autoniobile adjacentv the toot board thereot is a plate BT which covers an openingv in the floor ot the vehicle and pivotally mounted at 3S on depending; lugs 39 ot the plate and n'iovable in a slot #itl is a lever y11, the lower arin of which is pivoted at 1Q to the forward end ot the rod 3i. relatively heavy coil spring 3 ot greater tension than the coinbined springs 18 is connected to the lower arin ot' the lever 41 and in turn to the under side ot' the plate rThis spring' acts to hold the rod 3ft in its forward position and the extremities ot the enlarged ends 15 ot the bolts normally out o't engagement with the toothed tace ot' the ratchet rings. However7 when ascending a steep grade or incline, the chauffeur inay apply pressure on the lever and relieve the excessive tension ot' the spring L13, allowing;` the springs 1S to hold the bolts in engagement with the ratchets so that, in case. ot' the vehicle stalling, the bolts will automatically engage with the shoulders ot the ratchet and prevent retrograde inovenient oitl the vehicle.

Pivotally mounted on the upper ends ot the lever Lt1, as at it, is a lock. 4-5 provided with a 'toot piece L1G. This lock con'lornis to the shape ot the lever Ll1 and depends through the slot l() and has a shoulder y1t-7. it is obvious that the operator may apply pressure on the 'toot piece and at the saine tiine on the lock 45, so that pressure maybe applied on the lever 41 without causing the loelt lo to rock on its pivot However, in order to hold the lever l11 pressed lorwardly and thereby actuating' the rod 43 to hold the bolts in tirni engagement with the toothed 'lace ot the ratchet rings, the operator inay exert pressure 'forwardly and downwardly in suchA manner as to tilt the lockv 45, at the'sanie tiine pushing'the lever t1 forwardly, thereby causing' the shoulder 47 to engage one end ot the slot 40 and thereby retainthe lever in its forwardtilted position. lVhen the lever is so positioned7 the bolts will reniain in tirin engagement with the toothed faces o1 the ratchet rings and thereby prevent retrograde inovenient ot the vehicle.

llithout soine ineans to prevent it, the chauffeur, without thinking, inay operate the transmission lever into reverse position without first having` released the lock 15 which will cause serious injury to various operating parts ot the automobile. To

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` avoid 'this difficulty, the lever 41 is positioned substantially close to the` transmission lever, and eariied rby the latter 48 is an arm 49 passing downwardly through an additional slot 50 of the plate 87. This arm is angular and `is positioned so that, when the transmission leveris moved to second position, it may escape engagement With Vthe lower end of the lock 45, but should thetransmission lever bemoved to reverse position, the arm will engage With the rear of the vlower end of the lock 45 and thereby disengage the shoulder 47 from the plate` 37, allowing the spring 43 tov so` act on the lever 4:1 as to disengage the bolts from the toothed faces of the ratchet rings and thereby permit the automobile to travel rearwardly. n

The invention havingbeen set forth, What is claimed is:

1. In a` safety lock for motor-driven vehicles, the combination with the brake drums of an automobile including ratchet ringstlierein, of tensioned members carried by stationary parts of the brakedrunis and adapted for engagement With the ratchet rings to prevent retrograde movement of the vehicle, an element operatively connected with said members and including means of greater tension than the tension of the memnatures.

bers to retain the members out of engage-y ment with vsaid ratchet rings, a lock movably mounted upon the element including a shoulder for enga-gement with a stationary member, thereby retaining said tensioned members in engagement Withv the toothed faces of the ratchet rings, and a device carried by the transmission lever and cooperating with the lock when the lever is moved to reverse position, thereby releasing the lock and allowing the tensioned element to l overcome the tensioning means of the first relation with the ratchet ring. and a tra-nsf mission lever-carried element disposed to release the lock upon movement'of said transmission lever into vreverse position.

In testimony whereof CHARLES LEWIS LEHMAN.:r` HENRY coNRAnvAKiNER.

they aliix their sig 

